Table Of ContentBIOSECURITY AND
BIOTERRORISM
Containing and Preventing
Biological Threats
Second Edition
JEFFREY R. RYAN
Department of Emergency Management
Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville, Alabama, USA
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Credits for front cover images
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
CDC/Photographer, Christina Nelson, MD, MPH
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
CDC/Photographer, James Hicks
CDC/Photographer, Nahid Bhadelia, MD
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Jeff Ryan is a retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel with an extensive background in
preventive medicine, epidemiology, clinical trials, and diagnostics development. Dr. Ryan
also served in the private sector, working for a biotech company, Cepheid, where he was a
senior business developer and manager for its biothreat government business program.
Dr. Ryan has written more than 40 scientific, peer-reviewed journal articles and is co-
author of two other textbooks. Dr. Ryan currently serves as an associate professor and is
Head of the Department of Emergency Management at Jacksonville State University.
His specialty areas include biosecurity, biodefense, medical aspects of emergency manage-
ment, homeland security planning and preparedness, and terrorism studies.
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PREFACE
This book is the result of much research, writing, and thoughtful discussion with
students, first responders, scholars, and thought leaders in the fields of biosecurity
and biodefense. It comes at a time when emergency managers, public health professionals,
clinicians, animal health professionals, and government officials are preparing themselves
for acts of terrorism and the potential that weapons of mass destruction may be used
against our citizens.
At the dawning of the 21st century we moved very quickly from the information
age to the Age of Terrorism. Historians certainly will recall how the dark specter of
terrorism raised its ugly head in the fall of 2001 as we witnessed the fall of the Twin
Towers at the World Trade Center in New York and a direct attack on the Pentagon in
Washington, DC. Less than a month later citizens of the United States were faced with
the threat of a deadly and rare disease, anthrax, which was spread by a few letters
introduced into the US Postal System. Looking back, this period now seems almost
surreal to us. Although these human-made disasters affected all of us in different ways,
many Americans have already forgotten their personal feelings at the time. The global
war on terrorism has been raging for several years now. Some would argue that taking
the battle to the enemy on another front in a distant land has given us some modicum
of protection. Nonetheless, we are as vulnerable to the biological threat today as we
were 15 years ago.
In the wake of the terrorist attacks and anthrax assaults of fall 2001, US policy-
makers developed the nucleus of a new regulatory framework to address the suddenly
evident threat of bioterrorism (Dr. Julie E. Fischer, February 2006).
Accordingly, Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Containing and Preventing Biological Threats
introduces readers to global concerns for biosecurity, including the history of biological
warfare, bioterrorism, concerns for agroterrorism, and current initiatives in biodefense.
Included is a thorough review of specific agents, the diseases they cause, detection
methods, and consequence management considerations. Readers are introduced to
international initiatives and federal legislation that address biosecurity and biodefense.
A comprehensive treatment of the subject is needed to promote understanding of the
problem and the complex network of federal, state, and local assets for dealing with the
threat. The book is intended to be used as a textbook or reference for security managers
in the food industry, public health professionals, and emergency managers.
The primary goal of Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Containing and Preventing Biological
Threats is to give readers an understanding of the threat that biological agents pose to society.
Accordingly, the book details the myriad threats posed to society by the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS) Category A, B, and C agents. Readers are presented
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xiv Preface
with several case studies that illustrate the effect of certain biological agents on society.
Readers will be able to discuss federal programs and initiatives that encompass the
government’s vision of Biodefense for the Twenty-First Century.
TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After reading this textbook, students will be able to:
• Discuss the history of bioweapons development and how those programs relate to
the current threat of bioterrorism.
• Discuss what biological agents are and how they can cause illness and death.
• Understand that the scale of bioterrorist and natural events makes a tremendous
difference in our ability to respond to them.
• Understand what criteria are important in placing the most serious pathogens and
toxins into HHS Categories A, B, and C.
• Know the different biological agents in HHS Categories A, B, and C; what diseases
they cause; and the signs and symptoms of the associated disease. In addition, students
will understand the natural history of each of these agents, their use in warfare and
bioterrorism, and public health issues.
• Discuss specific case studies that examine bioterrorism and natural disease outbreaks.
• Demonstrate familiarity with sampling and detection methods.
• List the laws and presidential directives that apply to biodefense and biosecurity.
• Discuss many federal initiatives and programs designed to enhance biodefense and
biosecurity in the United States.
• Understand the difference between quarantine and isolation and the challenges both
present.
• Understand programs that are implemented by public health agencies to enhance
preparedness for acts of bioterrorism and where this fits into emergency preparedness
programs.
THE PEDAGOGICAL FEATURES OF THIS BOOK
• O bjectives and Key Terms at the beginning of all chapters guide the reader on
chapter content and the topics to understand.
• E xamples, illustrations, and figures help explain concepts and relate theory to
practice.
• B oxed topics are contained in each chapter to extend the depth of the information
and to offer additional perspective on the issues.
• C ritical Thinking boxes throughout the book help the reader to formulate alternative
perspectives on issues and seek creative and improved solutions to problems.
Preface xv
• D iscussion Questions at the end of each chapter reinforce content and provide an
opportunity for the reader to review, synthesize, and debate major concepts and
issues.
• W ebsites at the end of each chapter provide direction for additional resources to
enhance learning along topic lines and supplemental resources for student learning.
• An interdisciplinary research base was developed from books, journals, newslet-
ters, magazines, associations, government, training programs, and other professional
sources.
The book is organized into four thematic sections. Part I provides a conceptual
understanding of biowarfare, bioterrorism, and the reasons why biosecurity and biodefense
are so important to modern day society. Part II investigates HHS Category A, B, and C
agents; case studies; and recognition of the threat. Part III focuses on agricultural
terrorism and food security. Finally, Part IV outlines and details federal and local initiatives
for biodefense and biosecurity; included here are considerations for government officials,
emergency management practitioners, public health professionals, and first responders.
Each thematic section includes a short preface that draws together the key points and
learning objectives of the chapters within them.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I thank my colleagues for taking the time to listen to my ideas and for pardoning me for
my extended absences, idiosyncrasies, and preoccupation as I worked on researching and
writing this book. I also give special thanks to my lovely wife, Dr. Pam Ryan, for criti-
cally reviewing each chapter while balancing the demands of a busy companion animal
practice with the needs of two young daughters. Finally, I thank the men and women in
uniform, both military and civilian. They are the guardians standing on the frontlines
everywhere, protecting each other’s families. Our hope is that they will find this compi-
lation useful as they face the threat of asymmetric warfare.
xvii
PART I
Biosecurity, Biodefense, and
the Reason for Them
The first part of this book introduces the reader to the many foundational elements
necessary to understand why biosecurity and biodefense have become so important to
modern civilizations. Both of those terms are described and differentiated. To get an
appreciation for biosecurity and biodefense, one must first understand the importance of
the biological threat as an element of terrorism. In addition, biological hazards can pres-
ent themselves as the cause of accidental and natural disasters, such as laboratory mishaps
and pandemics, respectively.
Biosecurity and biodefense concepts and programs are transparent to most people.
The reality is that biosecurity and biodefense programs are very costly and have been
slow to develop. Conversely, the threat of biological weapons and hazards is underlined
by the unlimited potential for harm that they possess. The use of biological weapons by
an aggressor could kill millions, disrupt societies, undermine economies, and alter life as
we know it.
Although the effects of a bioweapons attack could be dramatic and devastating, the
probability that such an attack would happen is, in the opinion of some experts, very low.
Other experts believe with equal conviction that the risk is real and complacency will
produce terrible consequences when the impossible happens.
Much of our concern about bioweapons comes from a belief that some terrorist
groups, such as al Qaeda and ISIS, wish to use bioweapons and are attempting to develop
1
2 Biosecurity and Bioterrorism
a capability. Why terrorists would want to develop bioweapons is a complicated question
that defies simple answers. The decision to develop bioweapons likely involves percep-
tions that such weapons offer some political or military utility. Some would argue that
technological barriers to the development and use of bioweapons are sufficiently low for
terrorists to use them. Regardless, a key aspect of the perceived risk from bioweapons is
that communities are extremely vulnerable to biological attacks. There is a dearth of
recent articles in the scientific literature and popular media discussing how unprepared
modern societies are for biological terrorism. The abundance of these works might seem
to reinforce the utility of bioweapons in the eyes of terrorists, thus exacerbating the
problem. Regardless, perceived terrorist motivations, increasing technological feasibility,
and stated societal vulnerability have now merged to catalyze fears about bioweapon
proliferation and use.
Chapter, Seeds of Destruction is an introduction to the history of biowarfare and
state-sponsored bioweapons programs. In addition, the reality versus the potential of
bioterrorism is discussed and the reasons why biosecurity and biodefense have become
so formidable in the United States and other Western nations. Chapter, Recognition of
Biological Threat provides a scientific foundation for all readers, no matter their profes-
sional discipline or background. As such, the different types of biological agents and
some of their common characteristics are detailed. From here the reader is introduced to
terminology related to the clinical presentation of infectious disease and diagnostic pro-
cesses. The information and understanding gained from these two chapters is essential to
fully understanding the threat that will be explored in subsequent sections.
CHAPTER 1
Seeds of Destruction
Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin.
Aesop
Objectives
The study of this chapter will enable you to:
1. Understand the importance of the biological threat in its context of terrorism and weapons of
mass destruction.
2. Discuss the terms biosecurity and biodefense and relate them to homeland security and defense,
respectively.
3. Discuss the reality versus the potential of bioterrorism.
4. Discuss the history of biowarfare and the major events that are important in helping us
understand the issues related to using biological substances against an adversary.
5. Understand why many of these threats have been used on a small scale and that going beyond
that requires a high degree of technical sophistication and extensive resources.
6. Discuss international and national sentiments toward biothreat scenarios and programs.
INTRODUCTION
The dawning of the 21st century will be characterized as the Age of Terrorism. Terrorism
has affected most of us in one way or another. The shocking images of the September
11, 2001, attacks remind us of just how dramatic and devastating terrorism can be. In
most developed countries, the concept of bioterrorism and many of the words associated
with it are widely recognized. In the United States, bioterrorism became a household
word in October 2001, when Bacillus anthracis (the causative agent of anthrax) spores
were introduced into the US Postal Service system by several letters dropped into a
mailbox in Trenton, New Jersey (see Fig. 1.1). These letters resulted in 5 deaths from
pulmonary anthrax and 17 other cases of inhalation and cutaneous anthrax (Thompson,
2003). In the weeks and months that followed, first responders were called to the scene
of thousands of “white powder” incidents that came as a result of numerous hoaxes,
mysterious powdery substances, and just plain paranoia (Beecher, 2006). Public health
laboratories all over the United States were inundated with samples collected from the
scene of these incidents. Testing of postal facilities, US Senate office buildings, and
Biosecurity and Bioterrorism
ISBN 978-0-12-802029-6 Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc.
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